I pulled my car into the quick lube and inspection place hoping for an uneventful morning. It was my first day off in several months and the last thing I needed was car problems. I parked the car in the designated customer parking area, set my parking brake, killed the engine and stepped out into the bright, humid day. It was just nine in the morning, but the temperature had to be creeping into the nineties already. Fortunately it was only a short distance to the customer entrance and the cool waiting area.
Sweat had begun rolling down my forehead, when I opened the door and stepped into the check in and waiting area. Dark porcelain tiles gave the room a wet, cool feel, like diving into a deep, dark pool of spring water. There were about a dozen people waiting in faux leather chairs, seemingly enjoying the cool wait where several were carrying on conversations as if they were old friends. Ignoring the surroundings, I went up to the counter and asked for an oil change and inspection.
"May I see your proof of insurance," the attendant asked politely. "Calley Street, you live on Calley Street?"
I nodded.
"I have a brother who lives there, Krylac, Kyle Krylac?"
I shrugged my shoulders.
"You still live on Calley..."
"Yes, I just don't recognize the name."
"He lives on the cul-de-sac there."
I smiled and nodded, wondering where there was a cul-de-sac on my street. "How long should it take?"
"Well, I'd guess about an hour, we'll do the oil change first, since the air emissions test will have better results with fresh oil."
I noticed one of the mechanics move toward the desk from the right, but the attendant stopped her, "No Jen, he wants an oil change too, then he's yours," he said to the petite woman. He looked back at me and smiled, "She handles the inspections... gets a little zealous sometimes."
I smiled as I moved to find a seat thinking to myself, "Oh great, a zealot car inspector." Settling into the surprisingly comfortable chair I looked back at the mechanic. Looking bored, she leaned against the wall reading something on a clipboard. In spite of the unflattering uniform, she was attractive, with dark hair that curved in a semi-circle from her forehead, looping down to her chin. Her dark eyes had an intensity and her posture reminded me of the old Nazi SS.
She was no more than five or five-one with a very thin body. The overalls, obviously designed for a man all but concealed her tiny breasts and the curve of her hips. If not for her demeanor, I might have mistaken her for a young boy.
I continued watching her until I noticed through a window that a car had been pulled into the inspection area. She quickly turned and stepped through the door. I was making a note of her tiny, tight ass when she disappeared through the door and quickly pulled the blinds over the window.
I began reading my book, basically killing time, until they could finish with the car. I knew my car was in pretty good shape and really wasn't all that worried about it passing inspection, but it did have well over two hundred fifty thousand miles on it, so there always was the possibility of some problem. Well, about thirty minutes later, when I figured my car was getting inspected I heard my name called, not by the attendant at the cash register, but by the petite mechanic.
I got up and walked over to the register and said, "I'm Tom Jameson, she called my name?"
"Yeah, on occasion if they come up with a problem they may need to discuss it with you. It shouldn't be anything too serious."
Still apprehensive I slowly walked over to her and whispered, "I'm Tom... Tom Jameson, you called me."
She smiled and pointed to the door, saying only, "Please."
Looking back at the attendant at the cash register, I shrugged my shoulders and stepped through the door into the inspection area. My car was there, hood up, engine running, with several devices attached to the tail pipe and to the engine. With the ventilation fan and my car running, it was very noisy and I couldn't hear what she said next, I could only look at her and point to my ears.
She got a disturbed look on her face and walked over to my car, shutting off the engine and then reaching over to her panel and shutting off the fan. "Can you hear me now?" she asked in a normal voice.
"Yes, sorry, it was just so loud."
"I have the report here, the one from the oil change."
"Okay?"
"It says here you were low on both oil and power steering fluid when you came in."
"Yeah, I had a feeling..."
"A feeling?" she interrupted sternly.
Shrugging my shoulders I continued, "I had a feeling I needed some, but that's why I came here."
"Don't you understand?"
"Understand?"
"Come here," she shouted, grabbing my hand and dragging me over to the car. She grabbed a large plastic pad and placed it across the engine and then looked back at me, nodding to the pad.
"What?"
